I called Rustoleum about this and they recommended their "Universal Paint". I filled the dings and deep scratches with with epoxy and microballons, sanded lightly everywhere and then painted a couple coats with the Satin Black. It took several days to dry hard enough that my finger nail wouldn't scratch it. I then waxed with Liquid Glass auto wax, which actually removed some of the surface and made the paint semi-glossy. That's been over a year ago and they still look awesome. Here's a picture after the waxing process.

Hey poolemarkw how did the paint hold up? I considered painting my, but i'm afraid it will wear off everywhere it gets rubbed or scratched.

After seeing poolemarkw's paint job I used the same Rustoleum Universal spray paint on my crossbars last spring (thanks poolemarkw!). The paint has held up very well so far but it will scratch. My front crossbar still looks brand new but I did have some issues along my rear crossbar where the Hotstick tiller handle rubs. I'm considering adding some padding to the hotstick and/or repainting and then applying Scotchguard's clear protective tape to the rear crossbar (the stuff you use along the leading edge of your car hood to protect from chips, etc). I even managed to drop my mast fairly hard on the front crossbar and all it did was scuff.

Anyways, 12-months later and I'm very pleased with the results. I've also had good luck painting my rudder assembly with flat black grill spray paint (two years with no chipping or fading whatsoever) and my faded EPO rudders with gloss black appliance (refrigerator) epoxy enamel (minor peeling on one rudder after three years; had to sand and re-shoot this spring). If you paint your rudders, just be mindful of the fit. I found out the hard way I had to leave the top 3" or so unfinished so the rudders can fit back into the castings when I was done.

As BrianCT said, the paint CAN be scratched like any other paint. I used EVA foam grip material to cover the extendable length of my hiking stick so it wouldn't scratch the crossbar when collapsed. You get the material from windsurfing shops because it's used to regrip booms, and you attach it with contact cement.